Cop Shoots Therapist Lying on Ground With Hands in Air

An African-American behavioral therapist in Miami was shot by police Monday while he was on the ground with his hands in the air.

Charles Kinsey works at an assisted living facility and he went outside to come to the aid of a patient who wandered away. Officers arrived on the scene because someone called 911, mistaking the patient's toy truck for a gun. Kinsey was ordered to the ground and urged the patient to get on his stomach.

Kinsey attempted to explain to officers that the man has a truck and that he is a therapist. Police still fired shots and he reportedly remained on the ground for 20 minutes before he was taken to a hospital to treat a gunshot wound to his leg. There is no actual video of the shooting.

Police say they attempted to negotiate with Kinsey, although it's not clear what that exactly means. The unidentified officer who shot Kinsey has been placed on leave, while officials investigate the matter. The state attorney is also involved.

It was like a mosquito bite, and when it hit me, I’m like, ‘I still got my hands in the air, and I said, ‘No, I just got shot! And I’m saying, ‘Sir, why did you shoot me?’ and his words to me, he said, ‘I don’t know.'”

A lawyer for Kinsey told WPLG, "There is no justification for shooting an unarmed person who is talking to you and telling that they don't have a gun and that they are a mental health counselor."